Melo Villareal
I love taking the time to appreciate the things that often get missed in the Philippines. This is especially true some areas in Laguna province which is often overlooked. San Pablo city is a place filled with history, friendly people, art, and culture and there isn’t a better place to find a fusion of them all than at the Sulyap Gallery Cafe.
Sulyap Cafe in San Pablo City
Back in the hippie 1960’s the now famous Gallery Cafe was Southern Luzon Colleges and there were fiery debates, counterculture activities and more. After that it became the Cocoland Hotel and finally, combining the travelers, artists, intellectualism and culture that had always been there it became the Sulyap Gallery Cafe. It was during Pahiyas Festival 2010when I first set foot in the Gallery Cafe. We dropped by the place for the Samsung camera orientation before heading to Lucban Quezon to experience the yearly Pahiyas Festival.
Dining Area
When you walk in you are greeted by no shortage of old memorabilia from all the past incarnations this place has had. The owners has an intention to again make it a hotel, but so far this hasn’t happened yet. Don’t just walk in and sit, instead enjoy the ambiance of the place before you sit for a great meal. It is really a museum that doubles as a cafe, gallery, and restaurant.
The best Cafe in San Pablo City
As a specialized restaurant, it stands out. The food is not your typical Filipino fare. Fusion foods combining an innovative use of spicy, sweet, and delicious Southern Tagalog delights like suman, tsokolate and Lucban Longanisa. The restaurant has a wonderful outdoor patio for dining or you can sit on the first or second floors of an old Spanish Colonial house. The historic ancestral house which was transported from Tiaong Quezon was restored piece by piece in their Patio. Inside the gallery portion are wood washbasins, baskets, all types of antiques and various handicrafts.
One of my favorite things about the Sulyap Gallery Cafe is the innovative use of antiques, brandy barrels, and other historic pieces that make it feel as if you have been transported through time to a different place in history. In fact even the motto of the restaurant tells me that what they have done here is by intent, it is “A Taste of the Past”, and I can tell you with certainty, it is the kind of taste I hope to have more of in the future.
Sulyap Gallery Cafe
Brgy Del Remedio, Cocoland Compound, San Pablo City, Laguna
Telephone Number : +63.49.562.9740 or +63.49.562.9735
Mobile Number : +63.920.9519185
Website: http://www.sulyap.net/
